January 5
by kerumica
Summary: A visit to Gojyo and Hakkai's cottage. Character death.


**Title**: January 5

**Author**: kerumica

**Fandom**: Saiyuki

**Character(s)/Pairing**: Gojyo/Hakkai, Sanzo/Goku, in a sense

**Warning/Rating:** pg

**Beta: **none

**Disclaimer**: Saiyuki is property of Minekura Kazuya. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit being made.

**A/N:** Started out an update to "Saiyuki Shorts" got too long.

**Summary**: A visit to Gojyo and Hakkai's cottage. Character death.

* * *

Here it was, that time of year again, as Gojyo made his way to the cottage. They had been going there for years, long before making the final decision to purchase the rental and make it their home away from home.

It was a small, modest house and it reminded Gojyo of some place he had been to before. That was of course ridiculous since he has always lived in the city, surrounded by noise, traffic and lights. Out here though, it was just the cottage and the woods, the stars and the moon. Hakkai had found this place quite by accident and had fallen in love with it. They would make the trip out here twice a year: the week after Christmas, to bring in the New Year and again during their summer break.

It took Gojyo a little while to warm up to the idea of being in the middle of the nowhere, but then again, Hakkai loved the place and so Gojyo found himself loving it too. Actually, he found out that he loved almost everything Hakkai loved, everything except Goku and Sanzo. Those two he could really do without.

Sure they were Hakkai's pets, but Gojyo never really liked cats and apparently the feeling was mutual. It didn't take long to figure out that both were feisty as hell and hated being touched by anyone but Hakkai, which is why they were both still clawed and using Gojyo's uncovered limbs as scratching posts, or, in Goku's case, stealing his food off his plate. Hakkai would just laugh and say they were only teasing him but Gojyo was sure they had it out for him.

Today, however, they were relatively well behaved; quiet even, on the drive to the cottage. They gave him no trouble at all as he loaded them into their travel carrier and placed them in the back seat of the car. A few hours later they arrived, Gojyo was quick to get them inside and out of the small carrier (Sanzo could only take so much of clingy Goku before he started hissing and swatting at him) before bringing the luggage inside.

Once he got everything settled, and fed Goku, again, the trio made their way to the garden in the backyard. The sun still shining high and bright in the afternoon sky and that, combined with an unseasonably warm day was enough for Gojyo to just wear the sweater Hakkai had bought him their last Christmas together. He knelt at the edge of the garden and reached his hand out to the small headstone:

_Hakkai,_

_You are loved_

_Forever and always_

Gojyo swept off the leaves and debris that had fallen on the small memorial since his last visit. He made himself more comfortable and then started to tell Hakkai about the events of the last few months. He laughed to the point of crying when he told him about Sanzo pushing Goku down the stairs and then continued to cry because he wished Hakkai had been there to see it.

He cursed the man that had driven drunk the night Gojyo and Hakkai were heading toward the cottage. He swore vengeance on the gods that had left him unscathed but left his lover in a brain dead coma. He whispered a thank you to the goddess herself for allowing some of Hakkai's organs to still be viable for donation as he had wanted. And he smiled when he thought of the little girl, Lirin, who had received his heart as a result.

He continued sitting in the garden, long enough for the sun to set and the chilly January air to rear its head. He looked down at the tug on his pant leg as Goku tried to get his attention.

"Guess you're hungry," he said and received a _meow_ in reply.

As he stood, dusting some of the dirt and old leaves off his pants, he blew a kiss to the garden.

"I love you."

He was about to turn and follow Goku inside when a warm breeze blew past him, wrapping around him like a blanket.

"I love you, too," it seemed to whisper before disappearing into the night sky.


End file.
